What will happen to mobile communication and the Internet during possible long-term power outages due to Russian shelling, what mobile operators say and how will all this affect mobile communication tariffs, – in the review of financial editor RBK-Ukraine Ruslan Kislyak.
Will Ukrainians have mobile communication and the Internet during possible long-term power outages due to Russian shelling? In particular, the state, mobile operators, and energy companies are working to prevent a catastrophe.
Despite the seemingly unrealistic requirements of the state regulator to the operators of the communication market, it seems that it is possible to find a common language. The safety of Ukrainian citizens is at stake.
As early as July 15, the state-owned National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks (NTSU) significantly strengthened the requirements for the operation of base stations of mobile operators under martial law. In particular, mobile operators were obliged to ensure autonomous operation of base stations for 10 consecutive hours. From October 1, at least 60% of base stations in each region of Ukraine were supposed to work according to this standard; from November – already 70%; from December – 80% And by the end of January 2025, 100% of base stations should work according to the new standard.
In addition, by December, at least a quarter of mobile base stations in each region must be connected to an electric generator or batteries to ensure uninterrupted operation for at least 72 hours, i.e. three days.
Also, by December, at least 70% of the special equipment of mobile operators must be connected to generators or batteries with the requirement to ensure work for three days, which ensures the functionality of 95% of the main communication networks connecting the regional centers of Ukraine.< /p>
Until then, it is necessary to provide similar conditions for autonomous operation of 100% of local Internet access radio networks in public places.
Back in the summer, shortly after the appearance of the decree of the National Center of Ukraine, the trio of mobile operators of Ukraine – Kyivstar, Vodafone Ukraine and lifecell – voiced a joint position regarding the regulator's requirements.
To meet these requirements, it is important to supply electricity during the time required to fully charge the backup power equipment. This requires permission from electricity suppliers (oblenergo) to increase the power of the electric current feeding the base stations, since the increase in the number of batteries creates a double load on the power system. According to approximate calculations, in order to ensure the charging of batteries that will power the base stations of mobile operators for 10 hours in the event of a blackout, a capacity of about 2.8 GWh of electricity per day will be required. For this, it is necessary to use the capacity of essentially one NPP power unit.
In addition, it is important to take into account other factors that affect the fulfillment of the requirements of the NSU, in particular, – lack of personnel of operators and subcontractors, sufficient to maintain reserve equipment. According to the approximate estimates of operators, the need for additional hiring of specialists is tens of thousands of workers.
A separate problem – is the impossibility of installing and maintaining generators on the roofs of buildings where most base stations are located (especially in large cities with significant population density), as this is prohibited by building and sanitary regulations.
The Ukrainian market lacks the required number of storage batteries and stationary generators. Therefore, the equipment is purchased abroad, under conditions of complicated logistics and long delivery times.
The problem is insufficient speed and balance of legislative procedures regarding the change of lease contracts of state and communal property to expand the areas occupied by additional cabinets with batteries. Expanding leased space on state or communal property requires participation in the Prozorro auction procedure and takes an average of six months.
This was the situation in the summer. What has changed since October?
It is already obvious that the operators failed to fulfill the regulator's requirement to ensure the autonomous operation of 60% of the basic stations for 10 consecutive hours until October.
Kyivstar
As of September, 126,000 new batteries have been installed at Kyivstar base stations, which ensure the operation of base stations for up to 4 hours without external power. In addition, 2,322 generators support the operation of key network facilities in the event of a power outage. at least three days in case of full-scale blackouts”, – the company assures.
By the end of the year, the operator plans to purchase more than 61,000 batteries for base stations and 848 industrial generators. In the plans of the company – to provide 23-25% of the network with the possibility of operation from generators in the fall.
Currently, 60% of the Kyivstar network has four-hour backup power, 40% – from 2 to 4 hours. The company is working on ensuring a 6-hour backup.
The operation of the “Domashniy Internet” wired Internet service is ensured by 51,000 sources of uninterrupted power supply, which are installed in 23,000 apartment buildings houses.
However, any battery needs time to recharge, namely 4 to 6 hours depending on the number of batteries installed for maximum charge. Uninterruptible power supplies require 8 hours of continuous operation to charge.
“Unfortunately, power outages can be unpredictable both in terms of the number of outages during the day and their duration. Therefore, batteries do not have time to charge. And with such outage schedules, electronic communications operators and fixed Internet providers cannot always ensure the uninterrupted operation of the network, despite all made efforts”, – explains the company.
In cases where power outages are large-scale and long-lasting, the company is forced to set priorities in providing power to basic stations.
The company urges Ukrainians to be careful when using communication services during blackouts. It is important that users refrain from using heavy content (watching videos, making video calls) via mobile Internet during power outages. Then the batteries at the base stations will be able to work longer. If there is no electricity in a settlement, it is better to communicate using phone calls, SMS and text messages in messengers.
The company also reminds about the “National Roaming” service. In the event that the signal of the mobile network of his operator disappears, the subscriber can try to use the network of another operator without additional fees and changing the number. To do this, you need to select automatic network selection in the mobile phone settings, and if the smartphone is not registered in the networks of other operators, then manually select another available mobile network.
Vodafone Ukraine
Starting from 2022, more than 51,000 storage batteries, specially adapted to difficult operating conditions with frequent and long-term outages, have already been installed on the company's network. They provide 4-6 hours of autonomy. Additionally, about 54,000 modern storage batteries have been contracted, in the process of delivery or installation.
“The company purchases additional stationary and mobile generators, and even uses alternative energy sources. Thus, despite active military operations, the company built and commissioned three solar power plants,” the company told RBC-Ukraine.
Mobile base stations are also used for rapid deployment and communication in emergency situations.
lifecell
Currently, 65% of the company's network is provided with autonomous power (batteries and generators), which allows maintaining its stability for 4-6 hours during a power outage. 100% of the backbone network is ready for power outages: autonomy of the core and main nodes is ensured for at least 72 hours of operation.
Network modernization includes several key aspects. First of all, there is a need to increase the power of the electrical inputs to the base stations so that the batteries can be charged during short-term periods of power availability. In particular, the modernization process includes increasing the power supply capacity at each base station (and the company has more than 10,000 of them throughout Ukraine), which requires the installation of new machines, power lines, and sometimes transformer substations.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000“Among the important organizational tasks that still need to be solved, – coordinating with government authorities to simplify the procedures for upgrading power lines to speed up the pace, as the current rate allows for upgrading only dozens of base stations per month, while thousands need to be upgraded for effective coverage” , – speak in the company.
The issue of constant power supply of key nodes of mobile operators, which consume too much energy, also needs to be resolved. Such nodes cannot be left on backup power, as this is quite risky for the stability of the network. For this, it is important to agree with the energy regulatory bodies on the provision of uninterrupted power supply to these critical facilities.
The company concludes: under the existing conditions and in the case of further favorable circumstances, it seems realistic to meet the requirements of the NSU to ensure network operation for up to 10 hours during blackouts – until the end of 2025.
Currently, the ability of the lifecell network to work during power outages has been significantly improved, but the company warns that the same quality as in normal times should not be expected during these periods. After all, when electricity goes out, most gadgets switch to mobile Internet at once, because WiFi points are turned off. This puts a heavy load on the base station nearby. After some time, some users return to reserved fixed Internet, but not all. It is this increased load on the network and the increase in the number of simultaneous users that quickly exhausts reserve power cells, reduces the life of equipment and, accordingly, affects the quality of the mobile Internet during power outages.
В companies note that the purchase and installation of tens of thousands of backup power sources in an extremely short period of time requires significant additional investments, and a balance must be sought between ensuring communication and the ability to provide these services at an affordable cost to subscribers.
“Significant investments in energy independence are a forced step for the company, but despite these circumstances, the company has not increased the cost of its services recently,” lifecell states.
However, does this mean that mobile operators will continue to refrain from increasing tariffs for consumers? The question remains open. At least to the relevant request of RBC-Ukraine, all three mobile operators refrained from answering.
In the fight for the ability of Ukrainians to remain connected in the event of possible power outages due to enemy shelling, mobile operators are actively cooperating with the state in the form ofMinistry of Statistics, State Special Communications, NKEK, mentioned NSU and regional military administrations.
RBC-Ukraine sent out requests to all four state bodies (except OVA) regarding the situation with preparation for possible blackouts. In response, we received a proposal from the Ministry of Digital Transformation to voice a consolidated opinion of all the mentioned structures. So, at a minimum, this indicates the presence of communication between operators of the mobile market and the Ministry of Digital Affairs.
The ministry states that the mentioned July order of the National Center of Ukraine – is already the third iteration of the requirements that operators must fulfill to ensure communication stability. The operators fulfilled the previous two orders by 100%.
At the moment, the ministry officials assure, mobile operators are doing everything possible to fulfill the requirements of the NCU.
“We receive information about the state of preparation practically online, reporting has been introduced, working meetings are held several times a week on operational issues that arise in the process of preparing networks for power outages. Problematic issues are assessed, various options for their solutions are considered, and tasks for state bodies are formed.” , – explained in the Ministry of Statistics.
There they remind that the operating companies have already provided generators and batteries for transport networks, switching nodes of special services 101, 102 , 103, 112, so that people can call them at any time, as well as provide mobile communication and the Internet to critical infrastructure facilities in the regions.
However, there are some requirements that are difficult to fulfill on time for objective reasons.
The key factor preventing the provision of networks with batteries and generators is – this is an opportunity to quickly buy and deliver them to Ukraine.
“All technically suitable equipment that could be bought and delivered quickly has already been purchased and installed on our networks. The largest manufacturers have been contracted, who have agreed to quickly reconfigure production and fulfill huge orders. For example, all three operators are already expecting more than 100 thousand batteries. Generators and a lot of other additional equipment has also been contracted and is on its way to Ukraine. The logistics burden is very large, most of the deliveries are from other continents,” the Ministry of Statistics says.
The second significant influencing factor – human resource. But operators are working on improving this issue.
When and under what conditions can the requirement for autonomous operation of 100% of mobile operators' base stations be realistically fulfilled? To this question from RBC-Ukraine to the Ministry of Digital Affairs avoided an answer, noting that there are already joint calculations with the market operators on the terms of meeting the requirements. And they are quite concise.
Battery life depends, in particular, on the use of energy-consuming technologies. Thus, base stations are installed on mobile towers, which provide subscribers with communication and the Internet thanks to various technologies such as 2G and 4G. Thanks to 2G, subscribers can make calls and send SMS. And thanks to 4G, you can use the mobile Internet. A base station with 4G requires more energy to provide communication and the Internet than 2G, so when this technology is enabled, operators can provide subscribers with communication for no longer than 6 hours. If you leave only the base station with the less energy-consuming 2G technology, the battery will be able to power the station longer and provide subscribers with regular communication for more than 10 hours.
“Four technical solutions are already being tested, which significantly increase the operation of base stations on batteries. As an example, during long-term power outages, it is possible to turn off part of the technologies (for example, 4G, 3G), leaving only voice and SMS. This increases the battery's operating time by almost two times. And four- six hours turn into 10 hours of autonomy. One of the operators has already tested the operation of the base station on battery and exclusively on 2G technology. The result the base station worked for 11 hours and provided subscribers with voice communication”, the ministry said.
Also, the duration of battery operation depends on the temperature of the outside air. Batteries drain faster when the temperature drops below zero.
What is the situation with the implementation of the order of the NCU as of October? Currently, the National Commission, which carries out state regulation in the spheres of electronic communications, radio frequency spectrum and the provision of postal services (NKEK) has just started implementation checks the operators of the current requirements of the NSC, say the Ministry of Digital.
Will the state fine mobile operators (from October 1) for non-compliance with the regulations of the NSC order?< /strong>
The Ministry of Digitization assures: the Law of Ukraine “On Electronic Communications” does not provide for fines for non-compliance with the orders of the NCU. Mobile operators may receive a fine for failure to comply with the NKEK order, which is issued to eliminate violations during regular inspections. NKEK conducts compliance checks in three stages and gives time to correct errors. If the operators do not correct themselves after that, they can be fined in the amount of 0.1 to 0.3% of the income they received in the last accounting year.
During In the past three months, the state, together with mobile operators, has developed, tested and participated in research that can improve the stability of networks during blackouts. In parallel, previous decisions, experience of the past year and daily experience in solving complex problems to restore communication are analyzed. The Ministry of Digital Affairs does not disclose the details of all developments and projects for security reasons. So, one can only hope that they know and do more than they say.
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